1) Field of the Invention
An electrical interlock and indication system for use with aircraft is provided. More particularly, an electrical safety interlock and indication system for use with the tail section of large cargo transport aircraft is provided.
2) Description of Related Art
Aircraft fuselage, wing parts, and other aircraft cargo are often transported from one location to another via boat, railroad, or other aircraft. Boat and railroad transport often takes much longer and is more expensive than aircraft transport, and thus, aircraft transport is the preferred mode of transportation. Large cargo transport aircraft may be used to transport aircraft fuselage sections, wing parts, and other cargo to and from various locations. Certain cargo transport aircraft include a tail section located in the aft portion of the aircraft that may be opened and closed with various known systems to allow access to the aircraft for loading and unloading of cargo. One such known system includes a tail section that uses a caster-type strut to support the movable fuselage section. However, vertically hinged tail fuselage sections supported by a caster-type strut may have problems opening and closing under windy conditions. Under windy conditions the loads required to open or close the tail section are large, and such struts provide minimal ability to hold the tail section open and have limited or no braking capability. Another known system includes totally disconnecting the tail section from the fuselage and putting it on a cart while the aircraft is being loaded or unloaded. However, this system is time consuming and requires special equipment to hold the tail section while the aircraft is being loaded or unloaded. Another known system includes means to latch and lock the tail section where the latches are arranged in such a way that the forces caused by in-flight deflections can cause unlatching. Such unexpected unlatching can cause catastrophic accidents during flight. Moreover, for aircraft such as the 747 LCF, when the aircraft is not in flight and on the ground, such unexpected unlatching can cause the tail section to over rotate, fracture the hinge fittings, and separate from the main fuselage, damaging the tail section and wing beyond repair.
In addition, it is often necessary to inspect latch pins, hinges and related attach structures located in the hinged tail section to detect any faults or failures with such structures. Manual visual inspection of the tail section structures is time consuming and may involve hours or days of time to inspect due to the extreme height of the aircraft and the necessity to use special equipment to access the tail section structures. Moreover, visual inspection of the latch pins, hinges and related attach structures is difficult, if not impossible, with the tail section closed, even with the use of remote viewing equipment. For example, the use of scissor lifts or similar type equipment to access such structures with the tail section closed is not possible.
In addition, there may be a problem with over rotation of the tail section with known systems. Over rotating the tail section can cause damage to hinges and/or fuselage and the tail section that the hinges attach to. Moreover, if the tail section over rotates, damage can occur to the aircraft, equipment, personnel, and cargo.
Accordingly, there is a need for an improved electrical interlock and indication system for use with the tail section of large cargo transport aircraft that does not have the problems associated with known systems and devices.